Taxpayers were last night facing a legal bill of at least £100,000 after a
long-standing compensation row involving a female police officer who cut her
thumb while on duty.

The extraordinary costs in the five-year battle between WPc Kerry Ann Taylor and Hampshire Police equate to almost 20 times the value of the damages she won.

The officer, who is still employed by her force, successfully sued after she was injured as she helped dismantle a Southsea drugs factory in September 2008.

Pc Taylor, 34, was left nauseous by cannabis fumes when she cut her thumb on broken glass whilst uprooting plants in a hot and poorly ventilated flat.

The officer, who was wearing latex gloves to protect against skin irritation, had failed to notice a window had been sealed, and when she pushed at the glass broke it, causing her to cut her right hand.

She subsequently launched legal action against Andy Marsh, her Chief Constable, claiming the constabulary had breached its duty as her employer.

She won a £5024.22 payout after a judge at Winchester County Court found that her superiors had allowed her to be exposed to intoxicating fumes and failed to provide her with thick gardening gloves.

Yesterday, the Court of Appeal dismissed the constabulary’s challenge against the “absurd” finding on liability, ruling that the Wpc can retain her damages.

The case has left Hampshire Police with a legal bill of at least £150,000 although the force said its insurers will cover all costs above £100,000.

In their written judgment, Lord Justice Elias, sitting with Lord Justice Patten, ruled there was "no injustice" in ordering the force to pay Pc Taylor's costs.

Lord Justice Elias said while the duty on employers was tough, the risk to Pc Taylor, however slight, could have been avoided if she had been issued with heavy-duty gloves.

He ruled the officer would have been exposed to a “whole range” of risks during the operation and the original conclusion that the force had breached its legal duty to protect was “plainly open” to the County Court Judge David Blunt QC.

He added the operation could have involved her carrying out a whole range of tasks, not just removing the plants.

Judge Blunt had ruled the police were in breach of their duty under the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 in failing to provide Pc Taylor with thick gloves to protect against sharp edges.

He had also said that had she been wearing them, the injury probably would not have occurred.

Last night, Roger Trencher, Hampshire Police’s solicitor, said the force was considering “whether there are lessons to be learned” from the ruling.

He added: “We have always taken a firm position that we will defend claims where the specialist advice received is [someone] is not legally entitled to compensation.

“We will look again at the decision making process for appeals as we are conscious at all times that we have a duty to make the very best use of public money.”

Wpc Taylor did not attend any of the appeal hearings earlier this year.

A spokesman for her law firm Slater and Gordon, said Pc Taylor was "pleased" with the ruling.

He added: "This case is an example of an accident that could easily have been avoided if the Force had provided suitable gloves to an officer required to perform a task that involved a risk of injury to her hands.

"This simple measure, costing only a few pounds, would have prevented the accident in the first place.”

Figures from the Police Federation show that up to 2,000 police officers are winning compensation for injuries every year in a claims culture worth millions of pounds.

Last month Kelly Jones, 33, provoked anger after it was disclosed she is suing a garage owner after she tripped over a kerb while investigating a burglary in Thetford, Norfolk.

She is also demanding compensation from her force Norfolk Constabulary after a police car she was in was involved in an accident last year.

The Home Secretary Theresa May has since ordered a review of the police compensation culture.